RETURN to an Order of the Honourable The House of Commons, RETURN "comprising (1) THE REPORTS made to the Charity Commissioners, in the result of an Inquiry held in every Parish wholly or partly within the Administrative County of London into Endowments, subject to the provisions of the Charitable Trusts Acts, 1853 to 1891, and appropriated in whole or in part for the benefit of that County, or of any part thereof, together with the Reports on those Endowments. of the Commissioners for inquiring concerning Charities, 1818 to 1837"; and “(2) A DIGEST showing in the case of each such Parish whether any, and, if any, what such Endowments are recorded in the books of the Charity Commissioners in the Parish." And to be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from OLIVER AND BOYD, EDINBURGH; or E. PONSONBY, 116, GRAFTON STREET, DUBLIN. 1901. COUNTY of LONDON. The Christian Union Almshouses. The Inquiry into this Charity was held on the 11th February 1901, at the Committee The Room of the Christian Union Almshouses, John Street and Marylebone Road, N.W. Christian There is a reference to this Charity in the Charity Commissioners' Register of Union Unreported Charities, the substance of which is stated hereafter. The society or institution known as the Christian Union Almshouses was founded by voluntary effort in the year 1832, and is conducted under certain rules, particulars of which are as follows: Rule I.—The object of this society shall be to provide an asylum for aged pious persons, tɔ be denominated "The Christian Union Almshouses." The society to consist of a president, vice-presidents, committee, trustees, treasurer, sub-treasurer, secretaries, and members. Rule II.-The persons to be relieved by this institution shall be poor and aged believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, in full communion with some protestant church, other than single men or widowers, whose indigent circumstances and good character present a claim to the notice of the members, and who shall have been duly elected by the same-no person being eligible who is under 60 or over 75 years of age, or who has less than 4s. 6d. per week for maintenance, independent of parish relief-or who shall not at the time of the election have resided for the last preceding three years in the following districts, viz.: The parish of St. Marylebone, the parish of Paddington, and such part of the parish of St. Pancras as is on the west side of Tottenham Court Road and Hampstead Road. Provision is then made that every donor of 5l. or annual subscriber of 10s. 6d. shall be a member of the institution, and each such donation or subscription shall entitle to one vote for each vacancy at an election. The general management is vested in a committee, to consist of at least 12 members annually elected by the subscribers, and the officers of the society are to be ex-officio members. The committee is to meet once a month, three members forming a quorum. Power is given to the committee to appoint trustees and frame bye-laws. The accounts are to be audited annually by one member of the committee and one member of the general body. Any inmate of the almshouses who by alteration of circumstances, &c., has ceased to conform to Rule 2 may be removed by the committee. There is to be an election of inmates twice a year. Candidates must be recommended by three subscribers, and must appear before the committee and satisfy them that they possess the required qualifications. Polling papers containing the names of the approved candidates are to be sent to the members, and the candidate who has received the largest number of votes is to be elected. The votes in favour of unsuccessful candidates are to be carried to their credit at the next election. All monies received are to be paid into a banking account, and no payment is to be made except by order of the committee. An annual meeting of the members is to be held, and no alteration of the rules is to be made without the sanction of such meeting or of a special general meeting. The work of the society was at first carried on in almshouses erected by the society on a leasehold site (held for a term expiring in 1891), having a frontage to John Street, Edgware Road, upon part of which a house, No. 28 John Street, formerly stood. In 1836 the society acquired a lease for the same term of adjoining premises known as Nos. 27 and 29 John Street, with the use of a passage way therein mentioned. One of the last-mentioned houses was let and the other was used for the purposes of the almshouses. In 1867 the society, in consideration of 4807., acquired other leasehold premises demised for the like terni abutting on the rear of the almshouses and known as Nos. 233, 235 and 237 Marylebone Road. Since their acquisition, Nos. 233 and 235 Marylebone Road have been used for the purposes of the almshouses, while No. 237 Marylebone Road has been let, and the rents have been applied for the benefit of the institution. Almshouses. The Christian -continued. In 1890 the freehold reversion of the whole of the above-mentioned premises was acquired as next mentioned. By an indenture dated the 24th June 1890, the said three houses Nos. 233, 235 and 237 Marylebone Road, with the sites and appurtenances, measuring in each case 17 feet in front and 100 feet in depth or thereabouts, and also the said premises in John Street, consisting of three pieces of land, each having a frontage of 17 feet 9 inches to the said street and measuring at the rear 18 feet 6 inches and in depth 100 feet or thereabouts, together with the buildings thereon known as Nos. 27, 28, and 29 John Street, were in consideration of 6,6507. conveyed to William White and two others in fee simple. The sum of 3,150l. part of the said purchase money was provided, as to the greater portion thereof, by means of donations given for the special purpose of acquiring the freehold of the premises, and as to the balance, out of accumulations of income, while the remaining 3,500l. was raised by a mortgage. By an indenture dated the 28th August 1890, and enrolled on the 9th October in the same year, the said William White and others, in consideration of 3,1501., conveyed the said premises in the Marylebone Road, described as containing in front 50 feet and in the rear 53 feet and in depth 105 feet, little more or less, and the said premises in John Street, described as containing in front 58 feet and at the rear 53 feet and in depth 97 feet or thereabouts, to William Daniel Briden and others (the trustees of the Charity), subject to the said mortgage, upon trust that they should hold the premises for such purposes as the committee of the society for the time being should direct, and subject thereto to permit the premises to be used as an asylum for aged pious persons, pursuant to the rules of the society. In 1896 5007. of the mortgage debt was paid off, and subsequently the balance of the debt was paid off by means of contributions given for that purpose, and by an indenture dated the 19th May 1899, and enrolled on the 7th June in the same year, the premises were reconveyed to Matthew Philip Christie and three others, being the surviving trustees. The old almshouse buildings in John Street, and the adjoining house in that street which was formerly let, have recently been pulled down and new almshouses have heen erected on the site. It is estimated that the total cost of the new buildings, inclusive of incidental expenses, will amount to nearly 7,000l. A donation of 3,000l. towards the cost of the buildings has been received from the Hon. Mary Powys, and sums amounting to 2,950l. have been borrowed temporarily froin the trustees' bankers, and applied towards the cost of the buildings. Under authority conferred by an Order of the Charity Commissioners dated the 27th July 1900, the trustees propose to raise a sum of 4,000l. on mortgage of the Charity property at 31. 10s. per cent., and to apply the said sum in paying off the debt to the bank and discharging the balance of the cost of the buildings. The Order above referred to requires that in any mortgage executed thereunder the power of sale be expressly excluded; that the principal sum shall be repaid out of income within 30 years by yearly instalments of not less than one-thirtieth part of the said sum; and that the receipts for the instalments shall be submitted to the Charity Commissioners, or, if required, that the instalments shall be paid through the Official Trustees of Charitable Funds. The endowment of the Charity consists of the almshouse buildings in John Street and Marylebone Road, and the house No. 237 Marylebone Road, which is let at 607. a year for three years certain and thereafter on a quarterly tenancy. With the exception of the rent of the said house the income of the Charity is derived from voluntary subscriptions and donations. The trustees of the Charity are Matthew Philip Christie, Horace George Holmes, Montagu Holmes and Edward James Physick. The general management is in the hands of a committee consisting of the trustees, six ordinary members, and certain honorary members. There is also a visiting committee of ladies. A banking account, through which all monies pass, is kept with Sir S. Scott and Co.'s Branch of Parr's Bank, Cavendish Square. The managing committee meets once a month in a committee room at the almshous Two of the trustees act as honorary secretaries, and the treasurer and sub-treasurer also honorary officers. The almshouse buildings are capable of accommodating about 60 inmates accommodation consisting in each case of a living room. There are at p es. are the resent |